Real Housewives fans may be used to watching a smoldering love affair disappear into thin
air, but some of the most brutal splits on the show happened between seemingly lifelong
friends.
From New Jersey to Atlanta, to the O.C. and Beverly Hills, these are the biggest breakups
in Housewives history.
If you've watched The Real Housewives of Atlanta since the beginning, you know that a building
block of the show was the friendship between NeNe and Kim.
But a rift between these BFFs began when NeNe took issue with Kim's sugar-daddy, "Big Poppa"
— a wealthy, married businessman reportedly bankrolling Kim's lavish lifestyle.
"Close your legs to married men.”
“Excuse me?”
“Close your legs to married men."
Kim went on to star in the Housewives spinoff, Don't Be Tardy, but despite living increasingly
separate lives on the small screen, her relationship with NeNe seems to be on the mend.
When the two reunited on Cocktails After Dark in April 2020, NeNe explained,
"My husband was sick with cancer, and I just felt like […] life is just too short.
Kim's son had an accident, and I felt like we should just move on."
A month later, Kim shared on Watch What Happens Live,
"It wasn't like we reconciled.
We started talking a couple years back.
We chat here and there through text."
Kim's daughter, Brielle, told Us Weekly that while their stint on Housewives was indeed
toxic for their family, her mother's friendship with NeNe was special.
She tweeted,
"[Kim and NeNe] will ALWAYS be the most iconic duo & housewives!
Period!"
"This is a love story that turned into a horror story."
NeNe's relationship troubles have also involved her marriage to Gregg Leakes.
While they appeared to be happy at the beginning of the series, things began to unravel in
2010, after 13 years of marriage.
When audio of Gregg trash-talking his wife leaked on the radio, she confronted him on
the show, declaring,
"I stood by you when you have done me wrong as your wife.
We've lost loyalty and trust."
"It's getting weird."
NeNe also later revealed that Gregg had cheated on her.
They were divorced by 2011.
But while that could have been the end of their love story, these two patched things
up, remarried in 2013, and were a united front as Gregg battled colon cancer in 2018.
By May of the following year, he announced he was cancer-free.
But rumors began swirling that the couple was once again headed toward Splitsville:
Gregg was caught having so-called "inappropriate conversations" with an employee; NeNe was
accused of having an affair; and by October 2019, there was talk of an open marriage.
But whatever their true status may be, this Real Housewife explained on the Season 12
After Show,
"We have a great understanding.
[…] We're committed to staying married."
After Bethenny Frankel's 2010 wedding to Jason Hoppy, she tweeted, quote, "Best night of
my life."
Sadly, their made-for-TV fairytale soon morphed into tragedy, and The Real Housewives of New
York City star later described living with Jason as a, quote, "torture chamber."
They appeared to present a united front for the sake of their daughter, Bryn, telling
People of their separation in 2012,
"We have love and respect for one another and will continue to amicably co-parent our
daughter who is and will always remain our first priority."
But amicable respect was notably absent during subsequent battles over Bethenny's Skinnygirl
fortune.
In 2016, the former Housewife thought the fight was over when a court ruled she was
no longer required to pay spousal support.
But E! reported that Jason was arrested in 2017 for quote, "aggravated harassment and
stalking" after sending his ex…
"Unwanted emails and texts and [showing] up at their […] daughter's school to confront
her."
"It doesn't matter how much money you have, how successful you are, you sometimes can't
get yourself out of a situation."
Upon her departure from Housewives that August, Bethenny tweeted a farewell to the cast, which
referenced her seemingly endless divorce, writing,
"I had to go since I'm the only one that is actually married […] that's how crazy this
ride is."
"Love isn't forever."
In her memoir, Life on the Ramona Coaster, Real Housewives of New York star, Ramona Singer
told-all about the demise of her marriage to Mario.
As she explained it, in 2013, her husband of 21 years seemed more interested in singles
parties than in his family.
While friends had hinted that Mario was unfaithful, Ramona refused to believe it.
Former Housewives star Jill Zarin even told People that Ramona, quote, "looked the other
way."
Mario denied an affair, but the Ramona-coaster took a sharp turn when a friend revealed that
Mario had been arguing on the phone with another woman.
After Ramona confronted him, Mario eventually confessed.
The next morning, Ramona says he promised he would end the affair — but instead, he
reportedly went out to dinner with his mistress that night.
According to the Daily News, Ramona filed for divorce after finding Mario and his mistress
at the couple's Southampton home in 2014.
Ramona told People,
"I tried to make my marriage work […] but you reach a point where you realize the other
person isn't putting in as much effort as you are.
And I reached my breaking point."
"It feels like my world has fallen apart."
The marriage may have ended, but the exes' friendship seems to be working out surprisingly
well.
And their daughter, Avery, posted several snaps of the three quarantining together in
2020.
Vicki Gunvalson has had her share of romantic ups and downs since The Real Housewives of
Orange County premiered in 2006.
Long before "Brooks" ever entered the picture, the show documented the twilight of Vicki's
marriage to Donn Gunvalson.
Though Vicki had confessed that her quote, "love tank" was empty, the couple renewed
their vows to celebrate their 15-year anniversary.
But just under a year after the celebration aired on TV in 2010, Vicki filed for divorce,
shocking even her husband.
During the Season 6 Reunion, Donn revealed,
"I found out that Vicki filed for divorce when the process server showed up at my office."
"Yeah.
I was a little bit — I was a little bit shocked at that."
As was unpacked on the Season 7 Reunion, before her split with Donn, Vicki had been secretly
communicating with Brooks, who was reeling her in with tales of a purported battle with
cancer.
According to E!, Brooks allegedly falsified documents saying he had received cancer treatments.
The pair ultimately split in 2015.
Vicki once admitted to HuffPost that she regrets divorcing Donn, claiming,
"Hindsight I wish I would've worked harder in the marriage."
Still, her love tank now appears to be full with fiancé Steve Lodge.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville's storylines are ripe with the makings
of a Lifetime movie.
But no drama in Brandi's history has been as impactful to the show's narrative as her
friendship breakup with Lisa Vanderpump.
"Pick on somebody your own size.
Go on, go.
Pick on somebody your own — [slap!]
— No.
No.
That's wrong."
Lisa originally served as a mentor to Brandi as she struggled with the public humiliation
stemming from her ex-husband's infidelity.
But while they became fast friends, eventually Brandi realized that things may not be what
they seem.
She later said on her Unfiltered podcast,
"You know what, Lisa Vanderpump is a manipulative person, and when I was on the show, I did
a lot of her dirty work for her.
And I finally realized it, and I started calling her on her s—!"
"I fell in love with her in a weird way because no one else was talking to me."
"And then you become one of her minions, and then you realize it."
Lisa has been more tight-lipped about the split.
We will likely never know the whole story, but both parties still seem to believe that
absence, in this case, does not make the heart grow fonder.
Real Housewives of New York fans were shocked to see an end to Bethenny and Carole's close
friendship.
Carole joined the show in Season 5, and when O.G.
Bethenny returned for Season 7, the two quickly developed a tight bond.
But viewers didn't seem to love the vibe when the two were together.
One fan tweeted a Mean Girls reference, writing,
"[Carole], you're 100 percent a different person without Bethenny.
I mean Gretchen was pretty nice without Regina too."
Carole clapped back with,
"Oh this is the most moronic thing people can say.
[…] I'm 100 [percent] on the show […] not like some others who fake friendships."
"I need to know what's going on.
What, what's happening?
I think it's like an erosion."
The beginning of the end was during Season 10, when Bethenny made comments about Carole's
boyfriend, calling him out for declining to go on a charity trip without being compensated
for his time.
Of course, Carole wasn't happy with the claims, which she discussed on her blog.
Bravo superfan, actor Jane Krakowski , weighed in on the fallout during an episode of Watch
What Happens Live, saying,
"My bigger question with that is what are they actually fighting about?
I mean, I'm not sure what the — it's just 'cuz they're no longer friends?"
"I sort of feel like Carole gets a new best friend every season."
Yolanda Hadid and music producer David Foster appeared to be a match made in heaven.
She happily catered to his every whim, and the couple had that lovey-dovey glow when
Yolanda joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in Season 3.
But her subsequent battle with Lyme Disease threw the dynamic of their marriage into a
tailspin.
She told People,
"All of a sudden all of the things we shared, all of the things we used to love to do together
[…] that all shut down.
I couldn't participate in that life anymore."
"We move to the latest Hollywood heartbreak.
David Foster and his reality star wife, Yolanda, call it quits."
In her memoir, Believe Me: My Battle With the Invisibility of Lyme Disease, Yolanda
claimed David wasn't feeling the new vibe in their relationship.
But his take on the split sounds a bit different.
In the Netflix documentary, David Foster: Off the Record, he claimed their demise had
nothing to do with her illness.
He then expressed frustration over being recognized for his appearances on Housewives, instead
of his legendary musical accomplishments.
"Hey, I got 16 f---ing Grammys, OK?
I've sold half a billion records.
F--- that show."
Real Housewives of New Jersey drama turned real for Joe and Teresa Giudice when they
were indicted on charges of mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud.
Both served prison time as part of a guilty plea, with back-to-back sentences so one parent
could be with their four children.
Former Housewife, Caroline Manzo, said on Watch What Happens Live,
"The only thing I can think of is their kids.
And I just, God bless those kids."
Having moved from Italy to the States as a child, Joe never became an American citizen.
Page Six reported he was subsequently deported to Italy, which marked the end of the couple's
20-year marriage.
At the time, a source told People,
"They discussed their future when Teresa and the girls went to Italy [to visit Joe] […] and
they agreed that each had to move on."
"You either learn two things in there, you either learn how to become a criminal, or
a better person.
So, I'm gonna try to become a better person."
During a tell-all interview with Andy Cohen, Joe offered Teresa some dating advice, suggesting,
"[She should] date [men] who have money.
She has four kids, her way of living isn't cheap.
She's high maintenance.
She makes a good paycheck, but at the end of the day, she still needs more."
Their divorce was finalized in September 2020.
Shannon Beador was shocked to discover her husband, David, had begun an affair as she
started filming her first Real Housewives of Orange County episode for Season 9.
Despite the betrayal, the Beadors embarked on an on-camera emotional roller coaster through
counseling, a couple's retreat, and even a vow renewal.
After they exhausted every possible avenue, their 17-year marriage came to a full stop
in 2017.
Shannon said at the Season 12 Reunion,
"I felt alone in my marriage.
[…] You need two people to make a marriage work, and that just wasn't happening in our
relationship."
"It's just making the adjustment."
"This had to happen.
And good times are ahead."
With joint custody of their three children, Shannon and David have succeeded at amicable
co-parenting.
On one of Shannon's post-split Instagram pics, a fan commented,
"You're stronger than you think!
I commend you for your will-power and strength to carry on […] despite your setbacks!"
Shannon told People in January 2020 she has quote, "never been happier," in large part
due to her new boyfriend, John.
And for his part, David is now married to his wife, Lesley, who looks to be about 20
years his junior.
If your sister contemplates hiding your marriage license to protect you from making a huge
mistake, you might want to heed her warning.
Real Housewives of Atlanta star, Cynthia Bailey's sister, Malorie, appeared to have hidden the
marriage license for Cynthia's wedding to Peter Thomas — but she says she had actually
merely forgotten it.
Malorie told Radar Online,
"I did say that I thought maybe the lost certificate was perhaps a sign that maybe they should
wait to get married."
"Honestly think about it before you do this.
Because after you do this, this is what it's gonna be like.
Struggling."
But the wedding went ahead as planned, and the romance promptly crashed and burned.
Peter told a local radio station that Cynthia's lack of belief in him caused the divorce.
But Cynthia addressed those comments, telling The Daily Dish,
"I think I wholeheartedly supported his business ventures.
I had just reached my personal breaking point.
I felt like I didn't have any more to give."
"I love Peter.
We've just come to the end of the road."
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